don@donberryillustration.com
An Artist's Journey
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Chapter
7: Freelancing, Teaching and Creating a Home
By
now, I was reasonably well connected to the business community so I
was able to attract work after leaving Design Resources. Still, it seemed
a good idea to let people know that I was available and what I could
do for them.
Self-promotional
poster sent to local agencies and businesses

In
the summer of 1981, shortly after setting up shop in my little rented
house, the owners approached me with an offer to buy the property. I
didn't have the financial resources and, in the economy of that era,
interest rates of 15%-16% were the norm. Still, I agreed to set the
process in motion and see what happened.
A
lot happened. My father offered to co-sign the loan, a family friend
chipped in a little cash, and the owners lent me the small down payment
in a separate loan. In September, 1981, the deal was consummated and
I "owned" the property at a bargain interest rate of 12.75%
with a 30-year mortgage. The purchase price was $65,000.
This is the
property when purchased in September, 1981. It included this small 2-bedroom
house in the front and the very small 1-bedroom unit in the back that
I lived in. It is on a 50' x 140' lot on Linden Street in the Blenman-Elm
district in the middle of Tucson.

This is the
small house in the back where I still live today. The property has changed
rather dramatically since then.

I rented out the front house and immediately began remodeling the "casita".
First I knocked out interior walls separating the tiny bedroom and kitchen
from the living room. Then a friend, Dan Castelan (brother of Dave from
school and Elmer Graphics), built an adobe beehive fireplace inside.
By the fall of 1981 I had the beginnings of a new space.
Here is the
bedroom corner before and after Dan built the fireplace.


The
yard got attention, too. I began to treat the entire property, inside
and out, as a continuous art project.
This storage
shed was built from scrap lumber.

Bottles were
stacked into the sides of the shed. The play of light was enchanting
at certain times of the day.

This was a
fence sculpture created with scrap canvas from the Natural Duck warehouse
and native desert bamboo that grows in the yard. It held up surprisingly
well through all kinds of weather for a few years.

At
the same time I was providing a photostat service for other graphic
artists with the VGC camera I brought home from Design Resources. A
small, semi-regular flow of freelancers would stop by to have artwork
reproduced or re-sized to fit their design needs. They were also friends
and their visits were social occasions. One of those graphic artists,
Sally Milo, brought a friend along one day. Her name was Kim, and Sally
thought we should meet. We had an immediate and deep connection. She
was in the process of breaking up with her husband of that time and
eventually moved in with me.
Kim changed
her name to Kim Allyn after her divorce.

She was (and still is) a remarkably psychic person
and a gifted healer. We had many fascinating metaphysical adventures
that are beyond the scope of this narrative. Our relationship shifted
by summer, 1982, and although she moved out, we have remained closely
connected to this day.
The
mix of personal adventures and business projects continued at a steady
rate. Still, self-employment is often just a euphemism for unemployment,
and there were periodic dry spells. Money was always tight but I managed
to get enough work to survive.
This was a
promotional calendar commissioned by a local radio station. The illustrations
were done with design markers.

These national
ads were done with Karen Liptak, an important business associate and
friend. Arizona Mail Order was her client. She brought me in to design
and produce the ads and assist with the photo sessions.
...
I also designed
this self-promotional brochure for Karen.
...
...
Typical work
for other local clients
...


I received a call from the University Art Department to inquire if I
would be interested in filling in for Professor Heldt while he was on
sabbatical during the 1983 spring semester. I accepted and took over
his illustration and graphic design classes while continuing to freelance.
This
was a demonstration watercolor for an illustration class at the UofA.
I enjoyed exposing students to the process of producing a design or
illustration by doing a sample for them. When possible, I would create
it in the classroom while they watched and asked questions.

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